For those over 40, a trip back memory lane

[OldNick]

On 13/02/2022 at 12:24, saint1977 said:

That game may come up when the Newcastle home game is confirmed. We were in the Archers, very memorable. Kitson overhead kicks, Bruce kept us in it, Simon Charlton fk hit the bar, Saints laid siege to Newcastle defending at the Archers End then 3 late goals including Flash Watson’s first. Their keeper had a difficult last few minutes - Srnicek - sadly died out jogging at just 47 later and a legend up there. Can actually see much younger myself celebrating with Flash in the Archers.

 

This was the game when the stadium announcer for some reason when we were 1 down with a few minutes to go came on and said 'Will all those in the Archers sit down' like a red rag to a bull this made them all stand up and start singing. It seemed to energise us and terrify the Magpies and they crumbled. It was remarkable. Whoever the announcer was , he was a hero and hopefully knew what he was doing

[Dell McDellFace]

I remember that by the time I walked down Hill Lane to the central station, the early edition of the Pink would have been printed with the day's results listed. I've no idea how they did that so quickly, but there would be a guy pacing the platforms selling copies shouting 'Full Time Football Results", but it was almost completely incomprehensible!

[mikec]

2 hours ago, Dell McDellFace said:

I remember that by the time I walked down Hill Lane to the central station, the early edition of the Pink would have been printed with the day's results listed. I've no idea how they did that so quickly, but there would be a guy pacing the platforms selling copies shouting 'Full Time Football Results", but it was almost completely incomprehensible!

Yes it was pretty impressive how they managed to get it printed and delivered to newsagents by about 6pm.  In my youth (60s/70s) it was generally known as the "Football Echo" and had all the results, updated tables, a full report of the Saints match, plus shorter reports from the Pompey, Bournemouth and Saints Reserves games.  In addition it would have a dozen or so brief reports of Hampshire League and other local games in the inside pages.  And they managed this with manual printing presses and many years before mobile phones and the internet.

[steve green]

Brilliant thread! Many great memories.

Thanks to my bruv in law to be, I helped out in the players bar after matches a couple of times. I remember Dave Watson had two of Status Quo as guests there after one game, and Golacs wife was erm, a unit. Highlight was getting Kev K a lager, only a half you understand.

 

Anyone remember the old parking guy at the Dell, must've been the most miserable man in the world bless him.

[The Cat]

1 hour ago, steve green said:

Anyone remember the old parking guy at the Dell, must've been the most miserable man in the world bless him.

Jack wasn't it? He was my mates grandad.

Used to refuse entry to people, didn't matter if they were footballers or whoever. Can't remember who the famous case was, maybe Hoddle?

[SuperSAINT]

4 minutes ago, The Cat said:

Jack wasn't it? He was my mates grandad.

Used to refuse entry to people, didn't matter if they were footballers or whoever. Can't remember who the famous case was, maybe Hoddle?

It wasn’t Kevin Keegan was it? 

[rallyboy]

Yeah, Jack was formidable - white hair, white coat, no one was coming in - and even if they were, he wasn't happy about it.

They should have played him in the back four.

And the players lounge had those noisy metal steps up to it - Dave Watson was a huge Quo fan, he never missed their local gigs.

[The Left Back]

Not sure if this is the right thread but…

I went on a school trip to the dell in 75. Our coach pulled into the car park and we were met as we got off by Mel Blyth. Only he insisted he was the caretaker and not a player. It was only later during the tour that Lew Chatterly (I think) blew his cover. 

[Dellman]

Does anyone remember Len Stansbridge, he and Sam Warhurst were goalkeepers immediately after the war. He let in some easy ones but stayed with the Club for years as groundsman. I used to see him going to the Dell on his pushbike as I walked to school, he always had a gardenjng tool attached. Probably never learnt to  drive, not many people owned cars---different age but good fun.

[kwsaint]

Memories in the early seventies of Eric Martin throwing the spare footballs from the goalmouth straight into a sack held up by an old boy in a white coat.  He was incredibly accurate.  

[Divergent]

2 hours ago, Dellman said:

Does anyone remember Len Stansbridge, he and Sam Warhurst were goalkeepers immediately after the war. He let in some easy ones but stayed with the Club for years as groundsman. I used to see him going to the Dell on his pushbike as I walked to school, he always had a gardenjng tool attached. Probably never learnt to  drive, not many people owned cars---different age but good fun.

I remember Len when he was a groundsman at the Sports Centre I think. Pretty certain he lived in Malvern Road and I used to see him in the garden sometimes on my way to and from school. 

[Dellman]

The state of the pitches was unbelievable. From November on, the goalmouth was a quagmire, any shot on the ground would stick in the mud; now its like a billiard table all winter.

[manina-pub]

I remember a Boxing Day fixture v Chelsea which ended 0-0 and it was a total mudbath pitch .... or is my memory playing tricks ?

[Charlie Wayman]

7 hours ago, Dellman said:

Does anyone remember Len Stansbridge, he and Sam Warhurst were goalkeepers immediately after the war. He let in some easy ones but stayed with the Club for years as groundsman. I used to see him going to the Dell on his pushbike as I walked to school, he always had a gardenjng tool attached. Probably never learnt to  drive, not many people owned cars---different age but good fun.

Stanbridge

Ramsey Rochford,

Smith Webber Mallett,

Day Curtis Wayman Bates Wrigglesworth

 

Of course we remember him.

[Dellman]

W

12 minutes ago, Charlie Wayman said:

Stanbridge

Ramsey Rochford,

Smith Webber Mallett,

Day Curtis Wayman Bates Wrigglesworth

 

Of course we remember him.

Wasn't number 11 shared by Wilf Grant and a guy called Hassall?

[Turkish]

Watched the Netflix documentry I believe in miracles about the Forest team of the late 70s. Really good watch. Bit of footage of the 79 league cup final. Quite amazing achievement by Forest the likes of which we will never see again sadly

[Toadhall Saint]

3 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Watched the Netflix documentry I believe in miracles about the Forest team of the late 70s. Really good watch. Bit of footage of the 79 league cup final. Quite amazing achievement by Forest the likes of which we will never see again sadly

A great side.

[Turkish]

1 hour ago, Toadhall Saint said:

A great side.

Crazy that a lot of that team that won the European cup were part of their team that won the 2nd division. 

[Dark Munster]

12 hours ago, Toadhall Saint said:

A great side.

With a brilliant manager.

[Jessinkalasin]

A vivid memory for me is when I was very young before I was allowed to go to away games, listening to Solent on the radio. They always had a live commentary from Portsmouth or Bournemouth, which I always found weird because there was no crowd noise in the background as the crowd figures were so small. They would only break commentary when there was a goal in our game. Always nerve wracking as u never knew if we scored or they did. Great memories though. 

On a side note, I always wondered why saints were always so bad away from home back then. 

[Tank]

On 13/02/2022 at 11:21, saintquin said:

I remember looking at The Echo building all afternoon for Saints scores!

the Pink

[Dellman]

8 hours ago, Dark Munster said:

With a brilliant manager.

That manager had no coaching ability, no tactical skills but inspired man management--until he went to Leeds. It was his mate Taylor who did the real work 

[Tank]

On 23/02/2022 at 10:47, Dellman said:

Does anyone remember Len Stansbridge, he and Sam Warhurst were goalkeepers immediately after the war. He let in some easy ones but stayed with the Club for years as groundsman. I used to see him going to the Dell on his pushbike as I walked to school, he always had a gardenjng tool attached. Probably never learnt to  drive, not many people owned cars---different age but good fun.

wow I only go back as far as Tony Godfrey [Fatty Godfrey] .... and they call me "Coffin dodger"

[OldNick]

The Policeman who ran onto the pitch (bravely) thinking someone had a gun and shooting the the RAF dog display team. The cheers he go as he ran around the pitch after.

Also the Albion band and fans trying to hit them with coins as they had a collection

The only way to know the half time scores was when they put them up on the board or around the outside of the pitch, that were indexed in the matchday programme

eg, A Arsenal v Wolves and so they'd put metal hand painted numbers under ( like you see on village cricket scoreboards) 1 - 0 hopefully someone will have a picture to help explain

[Toadhall Saint]

1 hour ago, Dellman said:

That manager had no coaching ability, no tactical skills but inspired man management--until he went to Leeds. It was his mate Taylor who did the real work 

As a partnership they were great as individuals not so.

[redkeith]

On 22/02/2022 at 14:15, OldNick said:

This was the game when the stadium announcer for some reason when we were 1 down with a few minutes to go came on and said 'Will all those in the Archers sit down' like a red rag to a bull this made them all stand up and start singing. It seemed to energise us and terrify the Magpies and they crumbled. It was remarkable. Whoever the announcer was , he was a hero and hopefully knew what he was doing

I was on holiday in Teneriife for this game, in a remote timeshare. The only way to keep in touch was listening to the commentary on a Sky match, with no picture, and wait for the occasional update. I heard them say Watson had scored, and it took me a few seconds to remember that we had just signed him.

Celebrated with a few beers, but I didn't realise that Sin was Spanish for without alcohol

 

[The Cat]

Dennis Rofe coming on the pitch at half time to get the Archers going...

"Suck that ball into the net"

And then wind up the away fans. Imagine that being allowed now, haha.

[Dark Munster]

6 hours ago, Dellman said:

That manager had no coaching ability, no tactical skills but inspired man management--until he went to Leeds. It was his mate Taylor who did the real work 

I heard a story, probably apocryphal, that Clough went to a player and quietly told him that he was the best and most important player in the squad, but the player must swear not tell anyone, and if he did he would deny it.

Then he went and told the same thing quietly to a dozen of his other players.

[Turkish]

[Badger]

On 23/02/2022 at 11:05, kwsaint said:

Memories in the early seventies of Eric Martin throwing the spare footballs from the goalmouth straight into a sack held up by an old boy in a white coat.  He was incredibly accurate.  

Around the same era, John McGrath taking to the field after the test of the team, with his shorts pulled up around his thighs making it look as he was wearing a pair of black underpants or swimming trunks.

Brian O'Neil - socks around ankles, no shinpads.

[Badger]

On 24/02/2022 at 07:43, Jessinkalasin said:

A vivid memory for me is when I was very young before I was allowed to go to away games, listening to Solent on the radio. They always had a live commentary from Portsmouth or Bournemouth, which I always found weird because there was no crowd noise in the background as the crowd figures were so small. They would only break commentary when there was a goal in our game. Always nerve wracking as u never knew if we scored or they did. Great memories though. 

On a side note, I always wondered why saints were always so bad away from home back then. 

I remember this being the case for quite a few seasons when we were at our best under Lawrie. we'd steamroller anybody at home it seemed, but then fall apart the following week away at a lower team such as Bolton. This was typified for me c 1979 when our home form was great but the played Coventry away, at a time we had Chris Nichol and Dave Watson in defence, both experienced internationals and at their peak. Coventry had two unknown teenagers up front, Gary Thompson, and Mark Hateley who ran rings round them and we lost 4-0.

Same season I think Phil Boyer was leading goal scorer in the Division, for months but all scored at home. Didn't score away from The Dell until January.

Great mystery why we couldn't do it away. Had Lawrie sorted this we'd have been title contenders for a few seasons.

[JCBSaint]

Walking out of the Bedford’s after a thrupple of pre match pints clutching a chicken donner from teds fish and chips, around the mid to late 90’s, even further back getting into the car home and listening to sports report, only then did you know all the results.